Sustainability Majors at NCSU
Is sustainability your niche? Does recycling excite you, or was horticulture your favorite class in high school? Then a sustainability major might be the one for you! Majors concerning sustainability are a wise choice for college students today because feeding the planet is a growing problem, and the agricultural industry needs all hands on deck.
North Carolina State University is an awesome place to learn about sustainable practices because of its renowned agriculture program. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers eighteen different majors, and while sustainability is not one that is offered, most of them involve a great deal of it. Four of the majors that sustainability plays a strong role in are Soil and Land Development, Biological Engineering, Agricultural Businesses, and Fisheries and Wildlife.
Soil and Land Development
Soil and Land Development pretty much revolves around sustainability. These students must figure out the most efficient and sustainable way to develop land to feed the growing population. The major is part science and part business, so students take a blend of courses in natural science, mathematics, writing, and humanities.
Examples of some classes that Soil and Land Development students take include Intro to Chemistry, Wetland Soils, and Geology, along with many labs. The labs for the classes are a great way to get hands on experience with developing land and working with different soil types. There are also many ways for students to get involved outside of the classroom through clubs like Agronomy Club, Wildlife Club, and Forestry Club.
There are many different undergraduate research opportunities available to Soil and Land Development majors so that they can help contribute to solving the world’s problems before graduating. After graduating, there are a variety of fields that these majors can enter including forest production, water quality monitoring or wildlife management. Other less obvious fields include public policy, residential development, and business planning. Students who wish to keep studying after their undergraduate education can pursue their Master’s Degree in the field.
Biological Engineering
Another major that concerns sustainability is Biological Engineering. Classes within this major span across the subjects of the basic sciences, mathematics, engineering sciences, engineering design, and the humanities and social sciences. The biological engineering degree is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Some examples of some classes that these students take are Calculus, Advanced Biology, and Engineering Design. The major involves sustainability because they use their skills to figure out how to adequately develop land to feed a large number of people. The department has a strong research program that students can get involved with outside of the classroom, along with organizations that students can join such as the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Agri-Life and Engineer’s councils.
Like the Soil and Land Development majors, students of Biological Engineering can continue their educations to graduate school in the Master of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, the master of science, and the doctor of philosophy degrees. Career opportunities for undergraduates of this major are very diverse and include product design and development, plant engineering, and engineering consulting.
Agricultural Business Management
The agriculture industry in North Carolina contributes $78 billion to the state’s economy, accounts for more than 17 percent of the state’s income, and employs 16 percent of the work force, making agriculture the leading job producer in the state Much like the Soil and Land Development and Biological Engineering majors, an Agricultural Business Management major is able to earn a degree that has a strong focus in agriculture concerning crops and farm animals but also offers a unique perspective into the economic side of agriculture that plays such a vital role in the North Carolina economy.
Through courses like Agribusiness management, Environmental Law & Policy, U.S. Agricultural Policy, and micro/macroeconomics, students learn to apply the concepts, principles, and terminology of business. to real-world issues and opportunities in agricultural sciences. Also, many colleges including N.C. State offer internships or co-ops through the university that partner with alumni. The CALS department (College Agriculture and Life Sciences) is recognized as the one of the most well-represented departments with research stations in all 100 counties in the state. This strong relationship with alumni allow for N.C. State to remain an elite science school.
While the degree does say agricultural business, students are required to take the same entry-level courses up to the 300-level as the student receiving a traditional business management degree from the university’s esteemed Poole College of Management. After the junior year in the Agricultural Business major, students take classes that focus mainly on statistics and calculations related solely to crop production.
Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation
Another major offered in the CALS department, and one that has recently taken on a name change in the Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation major, formerly know as Fisheries and Wildlife. As attention has grown over the years concerning the need for a re-emphasis on taking care of the planet we live on, the university has added the “Conservation” title to the major’s name.
The Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation major focuses on researching and understanding ecological principles as they apply to natural resource management as well as the subsequent effects on wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture, and most importantly agriculture. The individual in this major will seek to advance the scientifically-based conservation of the planet as well as helping agriculture in major crops maximize yields.
To help feed a rapidly growing population, it will take innovation that comes from the students learning and researching this topic in college and taking an interest in STEM related fields. Emphasis on STEM has continued to grow in younger generations but the knowledge gap between old industry farmers and modern agronomist in becoming a real issue.
Majors like the ones mentioned in this article will help bridge this gap and assure the United States will have leaders capable of making the right decisions in keeping America well-nourished. Any student should take pride in majoring in one of these 4 CALS degrees, and with the right mindset could potentially change the world as we know it.
